SargassoPirate

My needs on a cruise are few - a wraparound promenade, someplace to get something to eat, a wee dram or three in the evening and some enjoyable music (by enjoyable I mean not over-amplified) My don't needs are also few. I don't need an alcohol fueled floating county fair populated by feral children. I don't need over-amplified production shows. I don't need an over-amplified Caribbean band on the Melanoma deck. I don't need piped in background music everywhere on the ship. I didn't understand my needs and don't needs until I had experienced some of the larger ships. Then I started carefully reviewing the promenade deck plans before even looking at cabins. No full promenade, no way. I've also found that a smile and some light conversation with the crew, even the people cleaning the common areas goes a long way. Happy cruising.

Sort of like those dangerous, fire hazard kettles that don't seem to pose a problem in the Aussie and UK markets. It's all about the $$.

Just imagine if this was your first cruise or if you had invited some friends along to introduce them to cruising!

I have yet to go hungry on any ship.

Mass marketing to the lowest common denominator. What would the expected result be?

Enjoy. Will a cruise ship wait for me if I'm running late at a port stop? Here's what a captain has to say. (msn.com)

I find port days where I stay on the ship quite enjoyable. I always carry a bunch of books loaded in the Kindle app on my tablet and if I can find a shady spot on the promenade or the Melanoma Deck (the over-amplified Caribbean bands take the day off on port days) with a frozen coffee drink or maybe a wee dram, I'm good. Any questions? See my signature line below.

With the chip cards nowadays it's also a good idea to keep them in an RFID blocking wallet - and keep your passport in an RFID cover as well. Also, only use ATMs from a bank, not the local bodega, and watch for skimmers too.

I carry a pair of lightweight black loafers that work for any evening - but I don't wear them with black dress socks and a speedo on the Melanoma Deck. You can't unsee things like that.

Hi Ginny, Yes, I find the MDR breakfasts and lunches not as noisy and the pace is about right. I do mix it up with the buffet, but then I'm an early riser and can enjoy a quiet breakfast before the zombie apocalypse hordes arrive. The evening meals in the buffet are much quieter and to me much more enjoyable without the din of a full dining room of people trying to shout over each other and the big tables which seem to suck up the waiter's attention from a two or four top. Cruising solo gives me the flexibility without each meal becoming a committee decision. When She Who Must Be Obeyed is along, she doesn't want to miss a dinner in the MDR or an over-amplified production show.

Have a couple of favorites and it's evident they don't use english majors. I saw one where a guy was able to use actually three times in one sentence.

I would donate $100 to the Widows and Orphans Fund if they can air one episode without somebody saying: yeah, no actually literally like me and XX XX and I's myself and XX Or should I say?: Me and DW are actually going to, like, donate literally a $100 to the, you know, like, the Widows and , um, you know, Orphans fund. Literally.

Over the years, I have gravitated to breakfasts and lunches in the MDR and evening meals in the buffet - except when She Who Must Be Obeyed is along. I find the MDR too noisy and too long for my taste.

I ditched the tie a long time ago. On the so-called formal nights or whatever it's called on the particular line I'm on, I wear a black sport coat - 19 ounces - and then wear a colored T-shirt with a matching pocket square, and a pair of black jeans or trousers. It's worked from Cunard all the way down to NCL. There will always be those without a clue about decorum who will wear their ballcap in the MDR - essentially broadcasting their upbringing and IQ to the rest of us.

I'm not worried about cruising, flying, eating a restaurant, attending a movie, attending a concert, or any other life activity. I'm vaxxed and boosted. Sure, there are a few people who are vaccinated and who still get covid, but the illness are milder - which is what the vaccine is supposed to do - and therapeutics are available. Consider this information from the CDC and see who is causing the spikes from the variants. CDC COVID Data Tracker: Rates of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths by Vaccination Status

As I said, I have sailed since the restart. I've also taken several flights, and I've taken several road trips during the peak days of the pandemic as soon as I got vaccinated. Some of my background is in public health and even pre-pandemic there were certain practices that She Who Must Be Obeyed and I followed. Without sounding like a lecture or dissertation, here are a few things that have kept us safe while traveling worldwide and 50-some cruises. 1. We take every vaccine available for travel and keep our shot cards up to date. 2. On airplanes we whip out a couple of sanitizing wipes and wipe down every hard surface we are likely to touch, and pre-covid this used to get some sidelong glances from other passengers. 3. When we enter a new hotel room, out come a couple of more wipes and we wipes down every hard surface we are likely to touch - including the remote - the most germ laden device in the room. 4. We never, ever eat food from street vendors. 5. If we do end up eating in an establishment that may be questionable, we only eat hot food and stay away from salads. 6. In any food establishment, we are always on the lookout for staff wearing plastic gloves. If you see them, watch and see how many surfaces those gloves touch other than food. Plastic gloves only serve to keep the wearer's hands clean. They are not magic sanitizing gloves. 7. When cruising, after we are seated in the MDR or buffet, we sanitize our hands. Think about it. Sure, you maybe sanitized your hands on the way in, or did "washy washy" if handwashing sinks are available at the entrance, but between there and the table how many things did you touch? Serving ladles or tongs? The underside of the chair as you were seated? The menu? The condiment containers? Think about that before you pick up and butter a roll to pop into your mouth I'm sure I left something out, but these practices have kept us safe and illness/disease free while traveling domestically, internationally, and even the local BBQ joint. Safe and healthful travels.

To be honest with you, I don't worry about other people's vaccination status and whether they may be vulnerable. If I were, I'd be wearing a mask the rest of my life because the covid virus is here to stay. It will never be eradicated. My intention is to stay vaccinated and boosted. Here is some information from the CDC regarding so-called breakthrough transmissions. Notice which groups caused the spikes. CDC COVID Data Tracker: Rates of COVID-19 Cases and Deaths by Vaccination Status

I did a cruise not long after the restart where the rule was wear a mask inside. Period. When you get to your table, you could remove the mask to eat. In the bars the rule was sip and cover, but that was a silly rule and not enforced. As soon as we got our vaccinations, we returned to life as normally as we could, but still followed the masking mandates as required. With more decades behind us than in front of us, we have no time to lose. If you are concerned about covid, wear a mask to protect yourself.

And when that happens, it will be a true "case". The CDC has been counting every positive test on a cruise ship as a "case". And with a virus that is here to stay coupled with wholesale testing of people who are not sick, there will always be "cases".

Most likely what you are hearing is that people are testing positive, identified as a "case", and then being quarantined/removed from the ship. That's what happens with wholesale testing of people who are not sick. HAL has announced that pre-cruise testing is not required on some selected sailings this summer. I suspect that it's an experiment to see if their "case" numbers go down since they will only track those who are actually sick. I wouldn't hesitate, and haven't hesitated, to board any ship and sail anywhere. I am vaxxed and boosted. Anyone who is at risk or fearful should either stay home or wear a mask to protect themselves - and with an N95 mask, not a face diaper.

Excellent point. It's time to focus on people who are actually sick, not wholesale testing of people who are not sick.

My most recent cruise on Princess was in January out of Fort Lauderdale. Because of the hassle of trying to fly in a day ahead and the testing requirements, I opted for the testing at the pier. Worked like a champ. I think testing will slowly disappear as the CDC and the cruise lines figure out that covid is here to stay and with the vaccines and therapeutics available it makes no sense to test and quarantine people who are not sick.

That is indeed good news. Since the virus is here to stay, it makes little sense to test and quarantine people who are not sick.

It helps cleanse the gene pool, if you can catch 'em before they have a chance to reproduce.

A laundromat is a nicety, but not a deal breaker. We have a range of quick dry travel clothes that we use for extended land trips outside the US and pack those for longer cruises. There's nothing wrong with washing out a few things in your cabin, especially if they'll dry overnight. You can also "wear a day, air a day" on clothing that is not right next to your skin. We would rather pack light than try to haul extra clothes around.